Chattahoochee County, also known as Cusseta-Chattahoochee County, is a county located in the west central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2010 census, the population was 11,267. The county seat is Cusseta, with which the county shares a consolidated city-county government. The city of Cusseta remains a geographically distinct municipality within Chattahoochee County. The county was created on February 13, 1854. Chattahoochee County is included in the Columbus, GA-AL Metropolitan Statistical Area.
History
The Georgia General Assembly created Chattahoochee County on February 13, 1854, from portions of Muscogee and Marion counties. It is named for the Chattahoochee River that forms its western boundary. The county seat was named Cusseta to commemorate the Creek Indian town that once existed nearby. In 2004–2005, the US Census Bureau reported a 6.2% population decline, making it top on the national list of counties with shrinking population. The original courthouse, built in 1854 by slaves, is preserved at the tourist attraction of Westville in Columbus, Georgia. Since 1918 most of the land in Chattahoochee County has been part of the Fort Benning military reservation.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of, of which is land and is water. The vast majority of Chattahoochee County is located in the Middle Chattahoochee River-Walter F. George Lake subbasin of the ACF River Basin. The very small southeastern corner of the county is located in the Kinchafoonee-Muckalee subbasin of the same larger ACF Basin.
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 11,267 people, 2,686 households, and 2,067 families residing in the county. The population density was. There were 3,376 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the county was 68.8% white, 18.8% black or African American, 2.2% Asian, 0.7% American Indian, 0.6% Pacific islander, 4.4% from other races, and 4.4% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 12.4% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 17.5% were German, 14.9% were Irish, 10.1% were English, 6.8% were Italian, and 3.1% were American. Of the 2,686 households, 53.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.0% were married couplesliving together, 16.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 23.0% were non-families, and 19.1% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.98 and the average family size was 3.45. The median age was 24.0 years. The county is notable for having the largest proportion of millennials of any county within the United States: 59.7% The median income for a household in the county was $51,089 and the median income for a family was $55,745. Males had a median income of $41,117 versus $31,422 for females. The per capita income for the county was $22,202. About 14.7% of families and 15.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.4% of those under age 18 and 30.7% of those age 65 or over.
